The heavens declare the glory of God, and the expanse proclaims the work of his hands. Day after day they pour out speech; night after night they communicate knowledge.” Psalm 19:1
My roommates and I were bored one afternoon so we decided to use our creative talents to write a love letter. The recipient was a very handsome young man who lived upstairs from us. The letter turned into a poem propelled by giddy girls with rhyming words. When we went to deliver the letter, we ran into a slight problem. We couldn’t sneak it under his door because the door was wide open. So we ran downstairs, disguised ourselves with hats, scarves and sunglasses, folded the letter into a paper airplane then returned and launched it through the front door. We laughed about it all evening, imagining his response and wondering if he’d discover who wrote it.
On the other end of that letter was a college student who was in his kitchen washing dishes when out of the corner of his eye he saw something fly through the air. He enjoyed the letter, read it several times, and showed it to his wrestling teammates on the bus when he left that afternoon for a tournament. His curiosity was peaked, but there was one huge problem with this love letter. It was anonymous. He couldn’t respond or pursue a relationship with an unknown person.
In the Sky
The first love letter God wrote was also anonymous. It’s what scholars refer to as “general revelation.” We call it creation. Ever since the world began, God displayed His beauty in the skies, on the mountainsides, in the rolling seas, in unique animals, and in the breath of every newborn baby. He created all these things we enjoy for a reason. That purpose is to stir a longing in our hearts to know Who created them. Creation was never meant to be worshiped but to draw our hearts to our Creator.
Romans 1 reminds us that ever since the creation of the world God’s invisible attributes have been clearly seen through what He has made, so we are without excuse if we don’t know Him. Even if God had remained anonymous- and we never knew His name- we would have known there was a God because of His creation. But God didn’t remain unknown. He chose to reveal Himself to us through His written word.
A few months after the delivery of our love letter, another friend decided it was time to tell the recipient who wrote the letter. She asked if he enjoyed the paper airplane then pointed her finger at me and winked. I’m quite sure my face turned several shades of red, but he just smiled sweetly and said “Oh– it’s you.” Now, he knew the author’s name. And that was the beginning of our relationship that led to our marriage almost 30 years ago.
In His Word
Specific revelation is found in God’s Word. The heavens declare His glory, the Bible declares His name- and so much more. From the opening line in Genesis, we see a Triune God creating the world. As the story continues, we see a perfect God who desires justice in His world and obedience from His children. We quickly discover the failure of “man” to be faithful to God and consequences for sin. But we also immediately see God respond with astonishing patience, mercy and grace. This pattern continues throughout Scripture.
Every page in His Word reveals a God who relentlessly pursues His children. The same God who lives in the high and lofty heavens also chooses to dwell permanently with His children. Scripture reveals a God who approaches the outcasts, oppressed and abandoned then tenderly cares for their needs. He rescues the lost, heals the ailing and redeems the broken.
As we come to know the Author of Scripture, we are amazed with His faithfulness and His steadfast love that covers our unfaithfulness. The letters humble us with conviction then cover us with grace. They challenge us to repent and obey- not to earn God’s favor but out of hearts overflowing with gratitude and love for God. Our greatest desire becomes glorifying His name.
I’ve been reading and studying His Word daily for almost 30 years and have realized I’ll never be able to mine the depths of the riches found in the Bible. Every time I read the Bible I gain understanding about its Author, and just when I think I can’t possibly revere or love Him more, I do!
Mystery Solved
God never intended to remain anonymous. His plan to reveal Himself to us in His Word uncovered the mystery behind a broken world that needed redeemed and an unfathomable act of love. That plan to reconcile His wayward children to Himself came at an incredible cost. The price He paid for us to be in a right relationship with Him was the death of His beloved Son.
All these truths are missed if you enjoy the beauty of creation but never pursue the Creator. You know there is an author of all things beautiful, but you don’t know who He is. The danger of wondering who the author is without actually finding Him is that you create a God of your own imagination but miss the One who is real. You never come to know the Author of life without opening His Letter to you.
The next time you see the sun bursting over the eastern horizon or coloring the western sky at dusk, think of your Creator. The beauty in the sky is the beginning of His love letter to you. It beckons you to seek the One who constantly pursues your heart. When you seek Him, you will find Him. And chances are you will fall deeply in love with Him.
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